Hermès, Chanel or Delvaux bags: pawning them at the Mont-de-Piété

Leather goods and accessories, two categories

Luxury leather goods and luxury accessories appear separately among the 17 categories of the Brussels Mont-de-Piété. Each has its own page on the official website, published in French and Dutch.

Four houses named for handbags

For couture handbags, the indicative list names Chanel, Delvaux, Hermès and Louis Vuitton. These four names also apply to small leather goods: wallets, card holders and clutches can be deposited in the same way as a bag.

Belts: three brands accepted

Belts are accepted for Delvaux, Hermès and Louis Vuitton; Chanel does not appear in this subcategory. As the list remains indicative, it is best to ask the appraisers about any other label before making the trip.

Delvaux, the Belgian house on the list

Delvaux is the only Belgian house named for leather goods, and it also appears for signed solid silver on the jewellery page. Its bags, belts and small accessories all fall within the conditions published by the institution.

The purchase invoice, a compulsory document

For luxury leather goods and accessories, the purchase invoice is compulsory. A bag bought second-hand without this proof therefore does not meet the displayed conditions, even if it appears perfectly genuine.

Crocodile and exotic leathers

Certain exotic leathers, such as crocodile, require a CITES certificate, a document attesting that trade in a protected species is legal. A crocodile Hermès bag is therefore presented with its invoice and this certificate.

No doubt allowed about authenticity

For any luxury brand item, the institution applies a rule without exception: at the slightest doubt, both loan and sale are refused. Signed watches are subject to the same requirement, as the page on pawning watches in Belgium shows.

What the Mont-de-Piété lends on a bag

No amount per bag model is displayed. The loan generally corresponds to 50 to 70% of the estimated public auction value, paid immediately in cash or by transfer, with a file-opening fee of 3.5% capped at €60.

Getting a bag pre-valued by photo

Before crossing Brussels with a valuable bag, a preliminary valuation by photo or phone is possible. The process follows the principles set out on the page on valuing a pawned item in Belgium, including the free appraisal.

Term, rate and extensions

The contract lasts 180 days at a rate of 6.5% a year, calculated per fortnight. From the first extension, the rate climbs to 10.5%. A bag can thus stay pledged for several periods, as long as the interest is paid.

If the bag is sold at auction

If the loan is not repaid, the bag is offered in a catalogued sale, after a free letter sent at least 30 days beforehand. Buyers pay a 20% premium per lot; the surplus, net of the debt, goes to the depositor.

Luxury bags pawned in France

At the Crédit Municipal de Paris, luxury bags, clutches and wallets are accepted with an invoice or the pledger's name, unstained and in good condition. The comparison continues on the page on pawning a luxury handbag in France.

Where to pawn a luxury bag in Belgium

• Mont-de-Piété de la Ville de Bruxelles: Public pawnbroker that accepts Chanel, Delvaux, Hermès and Louis Vuitton bags and small leather goods with an invoice.

Preparing a luxury bag for the counter

1. Find the bag's purchase invoice, without which luxury leather goods are not accepted.
2. For a crocodile or other exotic leather model, include the corresponding CITES certificate.
3. Gather the box and original documents that support the appraisers' authenticity check.
4. Send photos of the outside, inside and markings for a preliminary valuation.
5. Present the bag at the Rue Saint-Ghislain counter with valid identification.
6. Accept the offer or leave at no cost, then keep an eye on the 180-day maturity date.

Luxury leather goods: rules and costs

Proof required for a designer bag

• Purchase invoice for the bag or accessory
• CITES certificate for crocodile and certain exotic leathers
• Valid identification proving a European address
• Proof of address if the identity document does not show it
• Legalised power of attorney for a bag belonging to a relative

Why a bag may be refused

• Coming without a purchase invoice, a compulsory document for all luxury leather goods and accessories.
• Presenting a crocodile bag with only its invoice, without the CITES certificate required for certain protected exotic leathers.
• Offering a Chanel belt in the belief that it falls under the same list as bags, when only three houses are named for belts.
• Buying a second-hand bag without papers intending to pawn it later: without an invoice, it does not meet the published conditions.
• Forgetting that the rate rises to 10.5% a year after the first extension, which makes a long-held loan more expensive.

General information, up to date as of October 2026 and non-contractual: always check the terms with the Crédit Municipal or the institution concerned.